reese_perry6•21d agoMost Upvoted

Rant: The 'quick exit' detour that cost me 3 hours in Joshua Tree

Everyone raves about cutting off the main trail to shave miles, but my shortcut through the maze rocks put me in a dead-end wash with no water left and sun dropping fast. Had to backtrack a full ridge line and ended up hiking in the dark with just a headlamp, so now I stick to marked routes even if it adds distance. Anyone else get burned by a so-called time saver that wasn't worth it?

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parker_bailey19d ago

Dead-end wash with no water left" is the part that got me. My version of this was a "shortcut" in the Sierras that turned a 2 mile stroll into a bushwhack through manzanita so thick I thought about just laying down and letting the ticks have me. Ended up chugging warm water from a stream I wouldn't let my dog touch, and my legs looked like I lost a fight with a cactus. Saved maybe ten minutes on paper, lost two hours and all my dignity in reality. Marked trails exist for a reason, lesson learned the hard way.